Hitchhiking to guitar town in 1973, it wasn't long before he caught the watchful eye of Shelby Singleton of Sun Records.After a short recording stint that produced one record, he was once again walking the streets of a town he barely knew. As luck would have it, days of pounding pavement and beating on doors payed off when songwriter Frank Dycus took an interest in him. In the years to come it was Dillon-Dycus collaborations that would help launch country music legend George Strait. Dean also worked with ex-Porter Wagoner fiddler Mac McGahey's combo at the Opryland theme park.
In 1976, he landed the role of Hank Williams in the Country Music Show at Opryland. While there, a friend introduced him to hit songwriter John Schweers, who in turn introduced him to heavyweight nashville producer, publisher Tom Collins. Three weeks later, Barbara Mandrell recorded three of Dillon's songs. In 1979, Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius had a number one hit with his ''Lying Here in Love with You'' a song he co-wrote with fellow tunesmith Gary Harrison of ''Strawberry Wine'' fame. It was both writers first No. 1 record.
Between 1979-1983, as an artist Dillon charted eight times, and broke the Top 30 with ''I'm into the Bottle (To Get You Out of My Mind).'' He also wrote hits for other country stars, like the 1983 George Jones hit ''Tennessee Whiskey.'' These successes established Dillon as a performer and songwriter; It wasn't long untill Dillon was paired by RCA record head, Jerry Bradley, with Gary Stewart, the ''King of the Honky Tonkers.'' The two mens' vices fed off of one another, and while their two bleary, good-timing albums were successful.
Price
- $25-$160
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